


Homecoming Baby

by GoddessofRoyalty



Series: RoyDick week 2019 [2]
Category: DCU (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Jealousy, M/M, Mpreg, Teen Titans as Family, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-09 04:50:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18631171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessofRoyalty/pseuds/GoddessofRoyalty
Summary: Roy doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Titans after how messy his breakup was with Dick. Still, he isn’t about to let Dick’s kid just be held hostage by the Blood Cult.Or: an alternative universe where Dick is Lian’s mother instead of Cheshire, and yet Roy is somehow even more oblivious about his daughters existence.





	1. Day 2 - Titans

**Author's Note:**

> This is the long-one that’s based on a comic cover that we sort of spiralled into a plot on the discord. Basically Dick is Lian’s mother instead of Cheshire. Originally this was only going to be for Day 5 (Lian) but it ended up 10,000 words so I decided to split it between 3 days (Day 2: Titans, Day 5:Lian, and Day 7: Omegaverse) 
> 
> The comic cover that inspired it all: https://babblingsaboutdccomics2.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/act_618_010.png

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starfire isn’t a part of this because I didn’t have any real need for her and didn’t want to deal with that jealousy angle. On the other hand I had actual use for Raven so she’s here. Also Beast Boy is a bit more based on his original characterisation than modern stuff. 
> 
> Timeline is meddled a bit but mostly based on comic plots.

Roy stands in front of the Titans town for the first time in years.

The Titans Tower isn't his home anymore, and the Titan's not his team. He's managed to avoid them after what happened and isn’t looking forward to going back. But Donna hadn't left him with any choice, so he stands in front of the tower building up the courage to go inside and face them.

"Oh don't be a baby Harper," he grumbles to himself after spending way too long just standing there. It's not like they'll attack him. Probably. Just hate him.

When he walks inside its Wally who greets him. Well - Flash, because Wally is part of the JLA now and Roy wasn't the only one who turned his back on them despite the fact he seems to be taking the brunt of the hate for it.

"So you got ordered back as well?" Roy asks.

"No, I came as soon as I heard." And what - did Roy kick his dog or something? He doesn’t deserve the anger Wally is giving him for his simple question.

He doesn't know why he bothered to come back.

"Heard what? All I know is Donna was gonna' kick my ass if I didn't come."

"Of course you don't even know," Wally grumbles, not looking any more happy about Roy. Which - screw him. How was Roy supposed to know when he hadn't been told and hadn’t even been in contact for years? Sure, he hadn't contacted the Titans the whole time but it wasn't like they couldn't have contacted him either. Both sides are just as guilty in this.

"Well you going to tell me? Or just keep standing there?"

"You know what - no. No you can find out yourself," Wally says, storming off. Because apparently he couldn't even tell Roy where the hell he was supposed to go.

Whatever. Unless they reorganised the building Roy figures they will be in the main briefing room if it is a mission important enough to call in the whole original team despite how far apart they had drifted. And of course they all came - once a Titan always a Titan and all that.

Donna probably didn’t feel the need to threaten the others to get them to come. To be fair, Roy also is probably the one that wants to be back here the least. Not even pleasant nostalgia enough to overpower his want to avoid everything to do with that time.

Now to go listen to Dick order them all around and go do whatever it is that they need him to do. Probably save the world again.

The least Dick could have done was contact Roy himself instead of go through Donna. Not be a coward and face up to whatever awkwardness still is between them even after these years. Roy would have even played nice if there was something important on the line. He wouldn't let personal feelings get in the way of their jobs as much as they needed space. He needed space. But now Dick expects them to just work together when he can't even call Roy? There is no way this is going to be a pleasant mission.

Why did he even bother to come again?

"There you are," Donna says catching him at the door of the main briefing room, and Roy is reminded that it was fear of her that had him coming. She hadn't sounded happy on the phone and while he knows she's probably the most together member of the team he also knows she's not afraid to throw her weight around should she need to.

"Not like you gave me much of a choice."

Donna gives him an unimpressed look. "Whatever temper you got going there you need to knock it off. He doesn't need to put up with that at the moment."

"What temper? I haven't got a temper about anything." And you know what? How dare she suggest he does!

He goes to walk into the room but Donna grabs his arm and holds him firm. "I'm not joking Roy - he needs us to support him not kick him while he's down."

"I promise not to kick anyone who doesn't deserve it." He puts his hands up in mock surrender and it's apparently enough to break her grip from his arm and allow him to actually walk into the briefing room to find out what the fuck this is all about.

Nightwing is at the head of the table, although, really at the moment he looks more like _Dick._ He looks tired and stressed and Roy is pretty sure if he wasn't wearing his blockers everyone in the tower would be smelling a omega in full distress. Sure he's trying to hold himself together. But Roy can see through it. Hell he's pretty sure all of them can see through it with how crap of a job Dick is doing at it.

"Okay someone tell me what the fuck happened?" Dick had been raised by the Bat himself. He was one of the best at hiding his emotions behind a professional mask when he needed or wanted to. That was half the problem between them. So what the hell happened to make him look this weak?

Dick's gaze comes to rest on Roy and the fucking mask and scent-blockers mean Roy can't read anything about what he's thinking. Is he relieved? Angry? Nostalgic of where they had previously been? What they might have been?

"The Blood cult has kidnapped a baby," Nightwing says, breaking his gaze from Roy and going back to the apparently new screens they have for briefings. And Roy is only a little jealous of the tech. "We need to get her back."

"What's so important about this baby that you called me and Flash in?" Surely whatever team Dick and Donna have put together as their Titans should be more than enough to handle a simple reverse-kidnapping of one baby.

The whole room turns frosty. And, great, Roy apparently is missing some other piece of information that they all just know and now he looks like an asshole.

"What?" he demands at the three glares that get sent his way by Donna, Wally, and Garth.  

"The baby's mine," Dick explains. And okay Roy gets why he's an asshole now.

"I'm sorry." It's not like he had meant to hurt Dick - how was he supposed to know Dick had had a baby? It's not like he was being told things by pretty much anyone - held at arm’s length by a good deal of the superhero community like he had betrayed them and not just needed space to figure out who he really was.

"It's okay," Dick says but Roy can hear his voice is slightly watery. Which, great, he really feels like the asshole everyone acts like he is.

And there's not anything he can do to fix it. Not like he can go hug and comfort Dick about it after all the years and how messy their last contact was. So he just has to stand there as Wally goes over to hug Dick and tell him that they're going to get her back. Ignore the jealous itch under his skin at the soft pack-scenting between them because Dick’s not his anymore.

All he can do is help Dick get his child back.

“So where have they taken her?”

“Zandia,” Donna says as Dick collects himself.

“Our best chance of getting Lian back is if we can get in and out of the Blood stronghold without being noticed,” Dick says and Roy’s heart just hurts watching him struggle to maintain the Nightwing persona when he’s clearly so stressed. Doesn’t know how the scent blockers are still able to cover his no-doubt overpowering distress. “If you are willing to help we’d- I’d much appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Garth says.

“That’s not a question,” Wally says.

Donna doesn’t say anything but she’s still on the Titan’s team so was probably in before any of them got even contacted.

“Roy?” Donna asks and everyone is looking at him. The three alphas all looking like they’re just waiting for an excuse to hit him.

“Do you really think I’d say no?” Okay, yeah, he’s been a bit of an asshole about the whole thing and his relationship with Dick still strained to the point of not speaking. But he isn’t so much of one that he wouldn’t do anything he could to help save Dick’s pup even if he knows nothing about said pup. “Of course I’m coming – just tell me when I need to be ready and I’ll suit up.”

“Thank you,” Dick says as everyone in the room relaxes. Roy wants to say that there is no need to thank him – anyone with any morals whatsoever would help. The conversation moves on before he gets a chance to.

“We leave this afternoon and arrive at Zandia at nightfall, that should give us the best chance of getting in and out without being noticed,” Donna says, taking over the briefing. “That gives you five hours to organise anything you need – is that enough time?”

“’Course, got everything I need with me.” He had figured the only reason they would want him was because they needed Arsenal for a mission.

There’s apparently nothing else immediately needing to be discussed so the meeting soon comes to a close. And somehow Roy ends up left in the room with Dick. He realises it is the first time they have been alone together since what went down.

And what is he supposed to say?

“Really Roy, thank you,” Dick says, because even Dick seems to think he’d be enough of a jerk to let an innocent kid get kidnapped by the Blood Cult just because he and her mother had had a messy breakup.

“Of course, I-“ Was he seriously going to just say ‘I’m sorry’? Was that all he had to say about Dick, who he knew adored children and would have been completely besotted with his baby.  And how much must he be hurting right now knowing his child had been kidnapped? And all Roy had to say was ‘I’m sorry’?

“Look, Dick, I’ll swear I’ll do anything I can to get her back for you. What happened between us it…” Doesn’t matter? No, it does still matter but this is so much more important than hurt feelings. “Look I promise you we’ll get her back.”

“Roy, I- uh, thank you,” Dick says, his voice watery and broken and it just breaks Roy’s heart because he never actually wanted Dick to hurt like this. Even in his most bitter he would never wish this on Dick.

“Stop thanking me, Jesus, Dick, this isn’t like you’re asking me to move a sofa for you – this is your kid being kidnapped we’re talking about. Do you really think I’m that terrible of a person that I wouldn’t help you save them?” Is that why everyone hated him? They all thought he was some terrible asshole that didn’t have a single ounce of morals left? He gets it if that is the case, although doesn’t understand why that’s the going opinion on him.

“Of course not,” Dick says immediately, which at least Roy has some relief that he isn’t thought of that lowly. “I just didn’t think you wanted to see me again.”

Yeah. He deserved that one.

“Damn it, Dick. I just – I needed some space, okay? I mean it’s not like you’ve been reaching out to me either. Why didn’t you tell me you were having a kid?” Roy had heard nothing. Not even that Nightwing had taken any time off like he knows Dick would have if he was going to have a baby. Hadn’t heard anything that would imply Dick had moved on and found a new alpha.

“I didn’t think you would want to know,” Dick says. And did he do it to spare Roy’s feelings in knowing that Dick was with someone else? Somehow knowing how much Roy hated their split and wanted more than anything to go back and make it okay. Or was it just that Dick had assumed their relationship so fractured that Roy wouldn’t care that Dick was going to be a mother?

“Have we really gotten that far apart?” They used to be so close. Used to tell each other everything. Hell, Roy had been one of the first to know when Dick had presented and now Dick didn’t think he would want to know that he had had a child?

“I thought that was what you wanted?”

Dick walks out of the room and Roy wants to grab him and tell him how he got it all wrong but he did promise Donna he wouldn't kick anyone who didn't deserve it and Dick is already dealing with more than enough without Roy adding their relationship shit on top of it. It's not like the relationship stuff even matters, considering after they get Dick his kid back Roy could go back to avoiding him and the Titans. Roy should go back to avoiding him and the Titans.

With Dick gone Roy is left in the briefing room alone. Alone with nothing but his thoughts and emotions about what he just found out.

Dick had a kid. Dick had moved on and had a baby.

Roy wonders who the alpha was. Wonders where they are right now. They should be with Dick doing everything they can to get their child back. But there seems to be no mention of any alpha. What sort of alpha doesn't do anything when their child is missing? What sort of alpha just leaves their omega to deal with it?

To be fair for all Roy knows though they might be dead.

There nothing to be gained from staying in the briefing room with his memories and thoughts. Better for him to start to get ready so they can get the baby back as soon as possible. So Dick can have her back as soon as possible.

So Roy can leave as soon as possible.

He walks out of the briefing room and into one of the newer members of the Titans. "Raven, right?"

"Yes," Raven says with a slight bow of her head. Roy had watched her on the news sometimes when he couldn't stop himself from seeing the Titans in action, seeing Dick in action. She's strong but not really one for an actual fight. "You're the one that was his mate?"

"Who? Dick? Yeah, but that's old history now." About three years old in fact. And yet he still can’t seem to stop thinking about it. And being back in the Titans Tower makes those memories, that want to go back and do things different, stronger.

Raven seems to consider him and the information and Roy has no idea what she hopes to gain from it.

"You carry pain around with you, regret," she says.

"That's sort of part of the job, things don't always go the way we hoped and you just got to live with it." Being what they are is hard at times, people get lost, morals get eroded, arguments are had. Roy thinks if any one of them claimed they didn't have regrets they were either a complete monster or lying.

"I could help you with it."

"Thanks for the offer but I'm good." He knows the basic deal of her powers at taking the pain of others away but it is just a bit too close to digging through his brain for him to feel comfortable. Plus, it wouldn't be fair to just use her like that considering he is only going to be working with her for this one mission.

"If that is what you want," Raven says, "but you should talk to him - he has regrets as well."

"Who? Dick?" Yeah he knows Dick has some regrets in his life, could trace them all the way back to when Batman had adopted him. But he has a feeling she isn't talking about regretting not being able to save his parents.

"Who else? I should leave you though, we both need to get ready," Raven says and keeps moving down the hallway.

"Right." Roy doesn't know if he wants to chase her down and ask her more. It wouldn't be right to do that would it? No, he needs to just focus on getting Dick his child back, stop thinking about what they had been and just focus. It is too important not to.

As he walks past the kitchen he sees the remaining two new members to Dick and Donna's Titans – Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Hey! You're that alpha right?" Beast Boy asks gesturing to him with a sandwich.

"Which alpha."

"You know the one that-" Beast Boy starts but stops when Cyborg glares at him.

"Gar, can you for once not blab your mouth?"

"What? Why? Ugh, he doesn't know does he?"

"Doesn't know what?" Roy demands. Because great - there's something else they're all not telling him?

"Uh- not our place to say sorry," Beast Boy mutters, jokingly cowering back. "I shouldn't of said anything actually."

"Yes, you shouldn't have," Cyborg agrees, “just ignore the salad-head over here. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

"Why is nobody telling me anything?"

"Because you fucked off and just left him, what sort of jerk does that?" Beast Boy says and he's clearly talking about Dick. Not that Roy has any idea why it matters to him seeing Beast Boy didn’t even know Dick at the time.

"That's what he wanted me to do!" Why does nobody get it? Dick had made that fact well clear at the time. Had basically screamed it at him during their final argument.

"Really? Are you so sure about that?" Beast Boy challenges.

"Yes! If he had wanted me back he should have called me." But Dick hadn't. Had left him on complete radio silence until now. Had had a kid and didn't think to tell Roy despite everything they had been though.

"You really don't know," Beast Boy says with a scoff. "No idea whatsoever."

"No idea of what?"

"Look, just forget I said anything," Beast Boy says getting up to leave the room with his hands up in mock surrender. "Just do us all a favour and go back to not being in contact once it's all over."

"What did I do?" Roy asks Cyborg because he doesn't fucking deserve this treatment. Yeah, he might have been a jerk about what happened between him and Dick but he had been no worse than Dick had. They were both as evenly to blame for not talking for years.

"Really not my place sorry," Cyborg says, going to follow where Beast Boy went. "Just - you and Dick might want to have to a talk at some point."

Roy resists the urge to snap that they already had. Apparently everyone already thinks him an asshole so he doesn't need to give them anymore evidence of it. All he needs to do is get this mission done and get the hell away again. It's clear enough he isn't welcome and the faster he gets away from the memories the Tower drags up in him the better.


	2. Day 5: Lian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief warning that Roy (and some blood cultist) briefly come to a conclusion about Lian’s conception that wouldn’t be consensual.

The trip to Zandia is a tense one. Sure, they are all trying to be civil for Dick, but it's clear that nobody on the jet is fond of Roy and Roy doesn't feel that fond of any of them either. So they all sit in stubborn silence and focus on the mission they are heading towards.  

At least once they land in the forests they split up to their various tasks, which leaves Roy having to deal with a lot less of them.

It's just him, Wally, and Dick. Their job to actually try and find where the baby is and get out while the others deal with distracting the majority of the Blood forces and disable as much security as they can.

It's almost like old times when they were all a part of the team.

They can feel the years of separation though. No longer working as a smooth group causing them to stumble when confronted.

Roy stumbles on their new hero identities more times than he would like to admit.

Their difficulties to work as a cohesive team causes them to get split up when one of the defence mechanisms of the fortress brings walls up in a fork in the hallway they're walking in. All of them completely alone in their sections.

Roy trusts that both Dick and Wally can look after themselves. Trusts that if the baby is along the path they have in front of them they will get her and get out and then get the message to the other two that the mission is complete just like Roy will.

Anyway, it's probably better for him to be on his own. He's been working by himself for so long now he's better at it than with a group.

So he starts down the hallway in the only direction he has. Hides in a side cupboard when Blood cultists walk by and hopes they don't notice him.

"Do you believe she is right and the child the rightful heir?" One of the cultists asks, and Roy finds himself suddenly more interested in their conversation than he had been previously when he merely hoped they would hurry past.

They think the baby is Brother Blood’s?

"The timelines apparently match up," the other one says, and Roy suddenly realises he doesn't know how old the kid is. He assumed she must have been somewhat young. Unlikely that Dick would have immediately had a child with some new alpha - but if he's interpreting what they're saying right the cultist think the baby was conceived when Robin had been captured by Brother Blood soon after he and Roy broke up.

Well, that would also explain why there is no alpha in the picture. Brother Blood is dead.

Roy suppresses the guilt he feels at not being there for that mission. The guilt he had felt when he watched as Brother Blood revealed to the world that Robin had happily joined them. If the baby is Blood's-

No. The assumption of cultists isn't enough to go on to assume Brother Blood had done anything more than parade around his ‘enlightened’ superhero. It could all just be a coincidence. Or they could be assuming the baby's age wrong.

Then again - who else could be her father?

Roy doesn't have time to dwell on that question with the coast being clear again. If the cultists are talking about the baby it means she's probably near. Means Roy probably was the one to get the right path to get her.

He owes it to Dick to rescue his baby and get her out of the place as soon as possible.

Roy is even more careful in his movements further down the hallway. If the cultist honestly believe the baby is carrying the Blood bloodline then, no matter how much force is thrown at their external defences, they will leave some guards over her.

There's a bend in the hallway and when Roy peers past it he finds two guards standing in front of a room. And if he's right that they think Dick's baby the heir to their cult’s head that will be where they're keeping her. If he's right, the guards are probably their best.

He takes a deep breath, hitches and arrow and then turns the corner.

The fight isn't easy but there is only two guards and with what's going on outside their attempts to call for help are futile.

Once Roy is sure they are unconscious and not waking up anytime soon, he opens the door to the room and finds he's right that it's where they're keeping the baby. And that he had probably been wrong calling her a 'baby' seeing she was closer to a toddler and had to have been born within a year of him and Dick breaking up.

Roy swallows down his jealousy at it. Swallows down his anger that Dick had so quickly moved on and had a kid. It's not her fault, and Roy needs to get her out of here quickly before another group of guards discover that someone has taken out there friends.

"Hey," Roy says, stepping closer to the crib they're keeping her in. And the girl moves further back into it, anxiously hiding her face behind her red hair. "Hey, it's okay, I know your mum, I'm here to rescue you."

She doesn't look entirely sure of him but doesn't start crying or freaking out when he comes closer.

"Lian right? That's what Dick said your name is," Roy says, trying to keep his voice as calm as possibly because if she starts screaming guards might come running.

She gives him a nervous nod.

"I promise you I'm going to take you to him. I just need you to be quiet; can you do that for me?"

She gives another nervous nod and Roy lets out a breath. He carefully picks her up from the crib and holds her close as he starts to backtrack his way through the stronghold. He knows if he runs into anyone he's going to have a problem shooting an arrow or even defending himself generally with her pressed against his side. But that's why he doesn't just use a bow anymore – he only needs one hand to fire a gun.

He doesn’t want to let go of her for anything unless it’s to put her back in Dick’s arms – not that he can put a finger on why exactly.

Still, he has to figure out a way for them both to get out and the way he had came wasn’t an option.

He tries to head in the same direction as he came but not by the same paths. Hoping that he will find another path that connects to the exit.

When he hears noises up ahead he pulls out his handgun. And he’d really rather not have to shoot a person with Dick’s kid in his arms. But if the alternative is handing her back over the Blood cult? He’d take Dick never wanting to speak to him ever again as the alternative.

He carefully approaches the noises, gun ready, and goes to shoot the blur that approaches before he recognises the red uniform.

“Jesus Wally, I nearly shot you!”

“Why do you even have a gun?” Wally asks but his frustration seems to drop dead a moment later. “You found her.”

“Wall!” The toddler calls reaching out from Roy’s shoulders towards Wally. And at least she isn’t afraid anymore, as much as Roy is once again reminded of just how much he is cut out of Dick’s life. Dick’s daughter can immediately, and excitedly, recognise Wally, but as far as she is concerned Roy is a potentially dangerous stranger.

“Oh I’m so glad to see you,” Wally says to Lian, coming over to hug her. “It’s okay Lian, we’ll get you out of here and back home yeah?”

Lian leans into Wally’s grip, trying to scent him despite the fact it is a futile effort thanks to the scent-blockers Wally is currently wearing. When Wally goes to take her from Roy’s arm Roy tightens his grip. For some reason not ready to hand her over just yet.

He expects Wally to fight him on it, but instead Wally just draws back and considers him.

“The exit’s that way,” Wally says pointing down one of the paths. “It should be clear now so you can get her out. I’ll go find Nightwing and tell him we have her and lead him out.”

Lian cries when Wally goes to keep going, and before Roy has a chance to comfort her Wally is back and hugging her. “It’s okay Lian, Arsenal will keep you safe. I got to go get your mummy okay? Promise you’ll see him soon.”

Lian still whimpers a little when Wally draws back, but she doesn’t cry again when he vanishes. Instead burying her head into the crook of Roy’s neck – not scenting him, just hiding.

“Hey, it’s okay, mummy will be fine, I promise,” Roy says while bouncing her, because that’s what you’re supposed to do with distressed kids right?

She silently clings to him the whole way out. Doesn’t move as he makes his way through the forest to the rendezvous point.

There’s nobody else there, but Roy is pretty sure they won’t be alone for long. Once Dick finds out that his daughter is safe he’ll likely have Wally just carry him to her instead of walking the path himself.

At least if he’s the same as Roy knows him.

Sure enough, there’s the rustling of leaves being blown off their branches and Wally is putting Dick down in the clearing. Dick whose eyes immediately find Roy and Lian.

“Lian,” Dick says and Roy can _see_ the stress melt off him at the sight of her. Even with the mask and the blockers it’s abundantly clear just how relieved he is to know she’s there and safe.

“Mummy!” Lian calls back and it’s seconds before Dick is _there_ , pulling off his mask to look at his daughter with naked eyes and hold her close.

Roy passes Lian over to Dick and watches as Dick cradles her close to him. Watches as he picks off his scent-blockers so he can rub his scent onto her. It leaves him completely open, but Roy knows it’s not a question for Dick – the need to reassure his pup that she is safe, to reassure himself that she is safe, more important to him than anything, including keeping his identity secret.

It means Roy can smell Dick as well. And he realises that that last time he smelt Dick was when they broke up all those years ago. His last memory of Dick’s scent was it filled with bitterness and anger.

It’s nothing like that now.

Dick’s scent is full with relief and love and the extra _something_ that clings to an omega when they are with their pup. Anything negative that could possibly be in it completely removed to try and sooth and comfort his child.

It reminds Roy of just how much he used to love Dick’s scent.  

“Thank you Roy,” Dick murmurs, looking over while he has Lian’s head tucked into his neck to Roy. Nothing but gratitude in his eyes.

“I told you, there’s no need to thank me for this.” Roy is sure he would do just about anything if it meant Dick got to keep his child in his arms. Would sacrifice himself if it meant Dick would never have to feel the grief of losing her again.

“Still,” Dick says, but Roy can tell he’s not that interested in the conversation. Can tell Dick’s more focused on the child that he’s slowly rocking in his arms, pressing tear-soaked kisses into her hair.

The forest around them rustles again and Roy is quick to bring his bow up ready to fire at any threat. He glances to his side to see Wally also in front of Dick, just as ready to defend both him and the child.

A green tiger pounces from the trees and Roy nearly still lets the arrow fly.

"Hey! It's me! Don't shoot!" Beast Boy says turning back human and holding his hands up in surrender. Roy drops his bow slowly but keeps the arrow notched in case someone is trailing him.

"You got her though?" Beast Boy asks. Roy and Wally glance at each other before stepping aside so he can see Dick holding Lian. "Oh thank god."

"Gar!" Lian happily squeals when Beast Boy goes over to see her.

"You had us so worried," Beast Boy tells her, hand poking teasingly at her nose causing Lian to giggle. "The others shouldn't be too far behind."

Sure enough within 10 minutes the rest of their team stumbled into the clearing. All of them quickly rushing over to fuss on Lian and check that she is safe and calm her distress at the trauma of the kidnapping.  

Roy watches as she giggles and reaches for them. Watches as they scent her and Dick. All of them comfortable enough with both to be able to offer comfort in that way.

Roy feels on the outside of it all sitting on his rock.

He reminds himself it was what he wanted. He wanted space from Dick and a part of that was letting their relationship erode away and lose its comfortable familiarity. But he had needed it to clear his mind and figure out what the hell he wanted with his life after everything.

It still hurts to know that Dick's child can’t recognize him from a crowd.

"We need to set up camp for the night," Garth says, taking charge as Dick is clearly more focused on his daughter at the moment. "Use the change of shift in the morning to slip back to the jet."

He's right. Not that any of them want to stay here longer than possible. Roy wants to get Dick and Lian back to the safety of the Titans Tower and he isn't anywhere near as close to them currently as the others are. Still, moving through the forest right now is dangerous with all the cultist likely looking for any signs of movement to see where they are - a quiet, hidden, camp much safer.

They find a clearing and Raven walks along the edge of it doing _something_ that will apparently build a barrier to make the camp unseen by anyone who isn’t them.

Roy offers to build Dick's tent as well as his own just to give himself something to do apart from watch Dick coo on Lian. Sure, he justifies it in giving Dick the chance to spend more time with his daughter, but he knows he's actually being selfish.

Dick takes him up on it but Roy knows better than to think it any form of forgiveness or regained closeness. Dick only doing it because he doesn’t want to let go of his daughter just yet.

When they settle down for dinner Dick sits next to him. Lian set up in the omega's lap as he gives her sandwiches to eat by herself as best as a toddler can.  

"Thank you for setting up our tent for us," Dick says softly.

"It was nothing, you needed time with her." Roy doesn't think Dick will ever feel like he's had enough time with her after what happened. But allowing him to keep being able to be with his daughter and not have to put her down to set up the tent is the least Roy can do to ease the trauma of having her taken off.

"Still, thank you." Dick gives a small smile and presses and kiss into the crown of the girl’s head. His face slightly burying in her red hair and Roy is reminded of what the cultists had said about how they believed her to be Brother Blood's child.

He doesn't have any right to ask.  

"Hey, uh, can I ask you something?"

Dick gives a hum of consent. He looks so at peace and Roy really shouldn't be asking him this right now. Has no right, especially after being gone for so many years. After he hadn't been there when they went against the Blood cult. Still he has to know.

"They, uh, the cultists think she's Brother Blood's child. That's not possibly, is it?"

"No," Dick says immediately and Roy immediately feels his guilt at not being there reassured. Sure what happened with the Blood Cult was bad, but not as bad as he was starting to think it had been. "Absolutely not, I was already pregnant by then."

The relief Roy felt falls from him immediately. Dick had already been pregnant when Brother Blood had brainwashed him? Something that happened only a handful of months after he and Roy broke up.

"What?"

"It was after, when I got a medical done to make sure they hadn't put any drugs in my system, that I found out," Dick says with a laugh like it was some silly story. "After that I obviously took a break because I didn't want anything to happen to her."

"Do you even know who her father is?" Was Lian the result of some one-night stand Dick had after he and Roy had broken up? Going out and enjoying the single life? It would explain why there is no alpha around.

"I know who her father is," Dick says and there is no doubt in his eyes that would have Roy think he might be lying. Dick knows who her father is.

And with that timeline-

"So what you went from me to some other alpha immediately? Did you even wait until my scent wore off? Or were you already with them? Was that the real reason we broke up - because you were already starting to be courted by someone else? And what a good alpha they must have been - nowhere to be found when their child is _kidnapped._ "

He's angry. There's not much point denying that. But Roy feels his anger is well deserved considering the fact that their relationship had apparently meant so little to Dick that he had jumped onto the next prospect almost immediately.

He should have known, really. Considering who Dick's mentor was.

"You are such a blind idiot!" Dick snaps, picking up Lian to storm out of the clearing. Their dinners left forgotten.  

Roy wants to take chase to keep yelling at him. To demand to know if the other alpha was worth it now that Dick can look at the whole thing with hindsight. Roy might be an asshole but he would never just ignore his child being kidnapped, no matter what his relationship with their other parent.

"You really are a piece of work," Beast Boy says from where he's sitting on the other side of the clearing. And Roy remembers that the rest of the team was right there the whole time. That they all must have heard his outburst.

"No he's just an idiot," Donna replies although her eyes are plain hateful at Roy.

"Don't you try and throw this on me. I have every right to be mad!" Dick had been the one in the wrong here - he had been the one to immediately find a new alpha upon breaking up, possibly not even waiting until then.

"You have no right whatsoever," Wally says standing up to walk over to Roy. "I don't know if you remember but you _left._ Anything he did after that is none of your business what-so-over."

"Are you really going to defend him like this? What do you think he might be interested in you if you stand up for him and his pup." It's a low blow, but fuck it, if Wally is going to take his own low shots Roy will as well.

"Do you really want to do this right now? Really want to fight me over him in the middle of a forest in Zandia right next to a Blood compound?" Wally demands but does nothing to indicate he will be the one to back down.

"Do you?"

Whatever Wally was going to say is cut off by the sound of a yell in the forest. The sound of Dick shouting and the rustling of leaves.

All of them immediately run towards the sound, uncaring of the fact that they will be leaving the protective barriers of their campsite, the only thing keeping them hidden from the various eyes likely watching the forest that night.

A couple of meters out of the barrier they find Dick on the ground of the forest.

Roy runs to his side and desperately tries to find a pulse. Suddenly realizing the last thing he could have said to Dick was call him a whore.

The rhythm of a heartbeat under his fingers has never been so reassuring.

"Let me," Raven says, her hand gently resting on Roy's shoulder to pull him away from Dick's body. And he doesn't want to go, but he knows she is the best chance they have at fixing whatever it is that happened to Dick.

"Is he okay?" Beast Boy asks as Raven gently cups Dick's face in her hands.

"Yes, they merely knocked him out," Raven reassures and then does whatever it is she does to heal the injuries. Dick slowly opening his eyes and Roy can smell his distress before he can see it in his body.

"They took Lian." Raven draws away as Dick goes to curl into himself, openly crying on the floor of the forest. "They took her from me _again."_


	3. Day 7 - Omegaverse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final bit and final day of the RoyDick week. I hope everyone else enjoyed this week as much as I did and enjoyed this fic!

_You need to wake up. He needs you right now._

Roy does wake. Wakes and looks around his tent to find no-one else in it. The voice had been completely clear to him though and he knows he won't be able to go back to sleep without doing something to feel like he's responded to it.

At least a walk around the perimeter will reassure him that nobody's attacking them.

He leaves the tent just in time to see Dick put on his mask and walk out towards the forest. And if Roy believed in prophetic dreams he'd say that was what his was about.

Still, he isn't going to just let Dick walk out of the safety of their campsite alone.

Slinging his bow over his shoulder Roy jogs in the direction Dick had gone in until he catches up to the omega.

"What are you doing?" Roy keeps his voice low, well aware that once out of the campsite there could be ears anywhere trying to hear to figure out where they are or might be going.  

"I'm not going to just _sleep_ while my daughter is missing."

"We were going to wait until morning." It sucks, Roy knows, but it is the smarter plan. The best chance they have of being successful at getting Lian back.

"I can't wait Roy, she's my _daughter._ I'm not just going to sit there while she's missing from me. Look, you can go back if you want, and if I'm not back by the time everyone wakes up come rescue us both, but I'm going to find my daughter."

"Then I'm coming to."

"Arsenal you really don't have to," Dick says, "you've already done more than enough for me in getting her back the first time."

"No Di-, Nightwing, I'm not going to let you go alone okay? And I'm awake and here, so let's go." There is no way he was going to go back to the tent without Dick. No way he was letting Dick do this alone no matter how much anger and jealousy still boiled under his skin.

"Alright," Dick says with a nod and the two fall into silence as they keep making their way back to the stronghold.

There are guards everywhere. Which makes sense considering the Blood Cult now put on note that the Titans are there to regain the child they kidnapped, but it's still frustrating to walk around the complex and see nearly every entry blocked.  

"How are you doing this?" Roy asks Dick quietly as the two watch the entrance which seems the least guarded.

"The guard shift won't be until the morning, our only option is to take them out quietly so they can't call reinforcements," Dick responds.

"Alright." There's no point arguing it. Roy can recognize that it is their only chance of getting in before morning.

He readies an arrow and waits until Dick gives him a nod before letting it fly. It pins one of the two guards to the wall and Dick immediately races out to knock him and the other out. Roy close behind to punch the third guard that was previously hidden from their sight behind the door a second before they can trigger the silent alarm.

"We good?" Dick whispers.

"Yeah," Roy says as he drags the third guard over to where the other two are. Dick quickly tying them up so hopefully even if they wake they won't be able to raise any alarm too quickly.

They just have to hope that they won't be discovered until the guard rotation in the morning.

The Blood compound is just as unnerving this time as it was the first time. Possibly more anxiety-inducing in the fact that most of the guards aren't currently distracted with an external attack. Every corner having a real chance of running into someone who could raise the alarm and bring the whole bases defences down on them.

They were stupid to come in like this. But Roy knows waiting until morning wasn't an option.

He just hopes they don't regret it.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," Roy whispers as they wait in a storage room for another group of guards to walk by.

Dick gives him a look that, even with his mask on, Roy knows is questioning his choice to have this conversation _now._ And Roy recognizes how stupid it probably is but he also can't risk it never being said.

"Look just, let me get this out, I shouldn't have said it. I don't know what happened back then, don't know anything about Lian's father, they could be dead and-"

"They're not," Dick says, voice quiet.

"What?"

"They're not dead."

"Oh." Well at least Roy doesn't feel like he rubbed salt into any wound of grief from a dead alpha. "Do they know - about her - that she's theirs?"

"No."

"Why not?" Surely, _surely,_ any alpha would be so happy to have Dick have their pup. Why hadn't Dick told them?

"I didn't think he would want to know."

"Oh." So he wasn't the only alpha that Dick had cut off at the time. Somehow Roy doesn't feel in any way vindicated in the fact that he hadn't been the only one who couldn't put up with Dick then.

"He's also a bit of an idiot who hasn’t realize."

"What?" Roy doesn't understand how that was relevant.

"Roy - there wasn't anyone else."

Roy doesn't know what Dick is getting at. Hadn't Roy apologized for implying he thought Dick unfaithful?

"She's yours Roy."

"What!?" Roy says, much too loudly considering there are still _guards_ right outside the storeroom.

Dick's hand is quick to cover Roy's mouth and they both hold their breaths to see if the guards noticed. A minute passes with no movement indicative of their location being found, allowing them both to relax.

Roy reaches up to gently remove Dick's hand from his mouth.

"She's - mine?"

"Yes," Dick says, his hand falling to Roy's shoulder and Roy finds himself so aware of the touch. "I found out after the Blood mission and well, you had already left."

"You should have contacted me." If Roy had of known Dick was pregnant- Well, he doesn't actually know what he would have done but it would have been something. He would have at least liked the choice to decide what he was going to do about it at the time.

"Would you have answered if I did?" Dick asks.

"If you had of told me you were pregnant I would have." He doesn't know if he would have tried to make things work with Dick but he would have been there for him at least. No matter how mad he was at him he wouldn't have let him go through a pregnancy and raising a pup completely by himself.

"I'm sorry," Dick says, bowing his head in shame. And as much as Roy does want him to recognize that what he did wasn't right he understands Dick's reasoning for it. Understands that he is just as much to blame for Dick's decision not to tell him as Dick is himself.

"That's the past now," Roy says, reaching out to gently bring Dick's face up to look at him. "Just - if I survive this can I be a part of her life? I know things are still tense between us and she doesn't even know me but at least can I try?"

"Yes," Dick says, and a beat later. "Wait - survive?"

"The guards aren't clearing off anytime soon, so I'll go and draw them off then you slip out and go find Lian okay? Go get our daughter and get her safe." Roy needs to know that they'll both be safe and so long as Dick can get Lian back to the Titans they should be able to protect them both.

"Roy!" Dick protests but Roy isn't going to let him convince, or order, him not to. They need to get Lian out of here as quickly as possible. Rescue their daughter and get her safe sooner rather than later. And this is the most effective method of it.

"Just remember - Lian then out," Roy says, leaning forward to press a kiss to Dick's forehead before opening the door a crack to see the location of the guards and best plan out how he's going to act to try and draw them away.

He decides to take down the one directly in front of the door and hopefully get another down before they fully realize what is happening.

It works, as much as a nearly-suicidal plan can work. And Roy runs down the hallway in the direction he and Dick came from hoping that most, if not all, of the guards give chase.

Once he's sure he's far enough away he plants himself and turns around firing an arrow into the shoulder of one of the guards giving chase before ducking under the punch of another one. He gets a gut-punch in but has to quickly swing to the side to dodge one of the guards actually throwing themselves at him.

It isn't going to be an easy fight.

He gets another three down and is taking a step back to hopefully dodge the blow of another one when the guard just drops. Wally standing behind him.

"What were you thinking?" Wally demands, before taking out one of the other guards while Roy shoots the last one in the leg, his arm protesting the draw of the bow after the hits it sustained. "You should have waited!"

"I wasn't going to just let him go alone!" Dick was determined and Roy couldn't fully blame him for it. Especially not know he knows Lian is also his child. Knows if he had known back then he would have been sneaking out just like Dick did.

Wally lets out a groan. "Well we have to go!"

"What about Nightwing?" There is no way Roy is going to leave the stronghold without knowing that Dick and Lian were already safe and out.

"Raven is getting them, we have to go."

"No I'm going to find them." He is not leaving without them.

"Look- someone set off an explosion deeper in the base. This place is coming down and we have to be out of it before it does. Raven will find Lian and Nightwing and get them out but we have to go."

"She's my child Wally, I'm not just abandoning her." He's already been a shit enough father in not being there for her for the first years of her life. And as much as he knows he can't fully be to blame, considering he didn't know about her, he still feels guilt at it. Still feels like he has to make it up to her somehow and at the moment that is making sure both Dick and her are rescued and safe no matter the cost to him.

"Of course you know about that now," Wally says with his hands up in exasperation. "But do you really think dying stupidly trying to save them is what they want you to do? You have to trust the team Roy, you're hardly in any position to stand right now - we need to get out and trust Raven will get to them.

"I'm not leaving without them."

"Jesus-" Wally goes to start but the base around them shakes and Roy takes the opportunity to run back through the path he led the guards down.

He has to find Dick and Lian. Has to save them.

The building shakes again and the walls fracture. A chunk of the ceiling falling down in front of Roy. He doesn't stop though - he has to find them.

Another shake and this time the whole ceiling comes crumbling down - Roy jumps back to avoid it most of it but a bit still hits him on the head disorientating him even more than the blows he already sustained from the fight.

"Damn it," he says as his world spins. He tries to shake the haze off to keep going. To climb up and over the rubble and deeper into the stronghold.

The building shakes again and the walls start crumbling around him.

He thinks he hears someone call his name as he tries to keep going forward. Tries to get through the blockage and back to Dick and Lian. Back to his mate and pup.

His world shakes again and then goes black.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Roy wakes up in the slow grogginess he recognizes as the result of aesthetic. As his awareness comes back to him he realizes he's in room that is at least hospital-like, which is reassuring.

"What happened?" he asks when he realises he's not alone.

"You gave us a scare," Donna says, sitting next to his bed. "What were you thinking?"

Roy focuses on trying to remember exactly what happened before. He remembers the base and the ceiling and walls collapsing around him and the absolute fear because Dick and Lian were still inside.

"Dick!?" Was Dick alright? Roy doesn't know what he would do if he found out that Dick had died in the collapse of the building. What he would do if Wally had saved him instead.

"He's fine," Donna says, standing up to place her hand on Roy's chest and keep him in the bed. "So's Lian. Raven got to them before the building collapses and covered them in her soul-self. You on the other hand had half a roof nearly fall on you. If Wally hadn't of been there-"

He would have died. And as much as Roy would have been fine to die if it meant Dick and Lian were safe he also realizes that he would never have gotten a chance to have a relationship with his daughter.

"Sorry to worry you."

"Just- don't do it again," Donna says, standing up. "I'm not going to say they need you because they've already proven they don't but things would still be easier for them if you were around and not being an asshole."

And Roy remembers all the terrible things he had said to Dick. Sure he had apologised for them after Dick told him the truth about Lian, but it doesn't change the fact he had said them in the first place. Doesn't change how much of an asshole he had been about Dick generally over the last few years.

"Donna, does he hate me?" He'd deserve it if Dick did.

"Despite you well giving him every right to do so, he doesn't," Donna says. "If anything he's been the most worried about you."

"Where is he?"

"Getting Lian up from her nap. Do you want to see him?"

Yes. Roy wants to see them both. Wants to apologise for what he said and do everything he can to earn Dick's forgiveness. To earn a place in his daughter’s life.

"If he wants to." He can understand if Dick didn't want to see him yet. If he didn't want to have anything to do with him for a while - space, as painful as it would be for Roy, to heal.

"I'll go get him," Donna says, leaving the room and Roy to his thoughts.

He tries to figure out what he will say to Dick. How to apologise and ask if he can be in Lian's life again. Tries to figure out the best way to make up for leaving Dick alone to raise Lian for all those years.

The words he plans to say fail him when Dick walks into the room with Lian in his arms. Roy runs his eyes over Dick to see for any injuries and while there are some bandages and bruises there doesn't seem to be anything serious - Dick thankfully having gotten out of the experience with no more injuries than most confrontations that are had with villains.

Lian looks shaken still. Clinging to Dick so tightly like she's afraid to let go without losing him. Roy can't blame her at all - he wants to cling to Dick and never let go as well.

"How are you feeling?" Dick asks.

"Good, although I don't know how I'll be in a few hours once the aesthetic fully wears off."

Dick laughs lightly and Roy can't help but grin at being the cause of it. "What about you?"

"Sore, but it's not too bad, and I'm glad to have her back in my arms and where I know anyone who tries to take her is going to have a pretty hard time of it."

"I can imagine."

There's a moment where they just are there in each other's presence before Dick apparently realises something. "Oh- Lian I'd like you to meet your daddy."

"Dick you don't have to." He doesn't know if he deserves to be Lian's father yet as much as he wants nothing more than to be exactly that.

Dick gives him a look that Roy knows means for him to shut up. "And Roy Harper, I'd like to formally introduce you to your daughter - Lian."

Roy can't help but laugh at it and it's only when he hears how watery it is that he realises he's crying. Crying over the fact that Dick is at least going to give him a chance at being there for his daughter.

Dick brings Lian over to the bed, and while the girl still clings to him something desperate Roy is able to reach up and run a hand down her cheek. "Hey princess, I'm sorry for not being there for you, but I promise to make it up for you yeah?"

It's not like the movies where Lian suddenly goes to return his affection. No, she just gives a small nod and watches him with curious, weary, eyes. Roy knows he's still got a lot to prove before she actually recognises him as her father.

"Promise you, won't leave again," he mutters before turning his attention onto Dick. "So long as you'll let me stay."

"Of course I will," Dick says, moving to sit in the chair Donna had previously claimed, unfortunately taking Lian with him and out of Roy’s reach. "I should have given you this chance three years ago."

It was the past now though and Roy has been given the opportunity to be there for his daughter. One that he swears he isn't going to waste.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to chat to me about things, read additional fic parts, or send me prompts the best place is my tumblr (goddessofroyalty).


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